BMC Racing Team’s Tejay van Garderen continued his climb up the overall standings at the Tour de France Thursday, moving into fifth place while holding onto his lead in the best young rider classification. Teammate Cadel Evans also improved one spot, to sixth overall, on the race’s final day in the mountains. Valverde took the stage and Wiggins looks like he’ll be wearing yellow on Sunday on the Champs Elysee.
‘Couldn’t Ask For Much More’
Van Garderen was among a select group of eight riders chasing the day’s solo winner, Alejandro Valverde (Movistar Team), up the Col de Peyresourde. But when Jurgen Van Den Broeck (Lotto Belisol Team) forced the pace with 8.5 kilometers of the 143.5 km race to go, van Garderen was one of three who could not follow. “I wouldn’t say it was a big disappointment (to get dropped),” van Garderen said. “I was actually pretty happy with how I was riding out there. The leaders are far and above better than anyone else and they’ve shown that throughout the entire Tour. I’m pleased with how I’m riding and I couldn’t ask for much more.”
Evans Moves Up To Sixth
Van Garderen finished eighth on the stage, 54 seconds back of the stage winner and 35 seconds behind the two Sky Procycling riders at the top of the overall standings, Bradley Wiggins and Christopher Froome, respectively. With three days to go, the Bozeman, Montana, native is 8:30 off the lead. Evans finished 18th (2:10 back) but gained a spot in the overall after Haimar Zubeldia (RadioShack-Nissan) was dropped on the last climb. “He’s a fighter he never gives up,” van Garderen said of Evans.
Cummings, Schär Hurt In Crashes
One of only four teams in the race that started all nine of its riders for Thursday’s stage, the BMC Racing Team had two more of its riders hurt in crashes one day after George Hincapie went down on a descent. Steve Cummings crashed while descending and Michael Schär was hit by the race doctor’s car. BMC Racing Team Chief Medical Officer Dr. Max Testa said Schär has minor cuts on his right knee and an elbow injury that will need further evaluation. Cummings has pain in his left hip that will also need to be further evaluated for its level of seriousness. “Steve lost a lot of skin but he didn’t have a head concussion,” Testa said. “He’s of course a little anxious because he’s had a few crashes this year.” Cummings broke his left wrist in a crash at Vuelta al Pais Vasco, broke his pelvis in a crash at Volta ao Algarve and injured his left wrist in a crash at the Amgen Tour of California.
